The U.S. has 50 reported New World screwworm cases: 48 in Texas and two in New Mexico; the newest involved a horse in Grant County. Officials say northward spread has slowed. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins warned, “We’re not out of the woods yet.”
The New World screwworm is the larval stage of a fly that lays eggs in wounds or body openings; the larvae feed on living tissue. Untreated infestations can cause infection and kill animals. It is not considered a food-safety threat because it targets wounds rather than meat intended for consumers.
Texas Public Radio reported that the USDA has released more than 1 billion sterile flies in Texas since February and plans to boost production to 500 million a week so females that mate with them produce no offspring. Texas animal-health officials have begun easing livestock movement restrictions in parts of Gillespie, Kerr, Kimble, La Salle and Webb counties, but producers are still urged to inspect animals regularly and not move animals with suspicious wounds before a veterinary exam. Flyttr plans to use Texas Biomed’s high-containment laboratory in San Antonio to produce more sterile flies.
